Oscar Pistorius Given Only 5 Years in Jail For Killing his Girlfriend

Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has been handed a five-year sentence for killing his girlfriend. Legal experts said he was unlikely to spend longer than a year in jail. Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide but cleared of murder after firing four hollow-point bullets through a bathroom door at Reeva Steenkamp in February 2013. He said he thought an intruder had broken into the house. Judge Thokozile Masipa said the decision was hers and hers alone. “Sentencing is about achieving the right balance. Sentencing is not a perfect exercise,” she said. She also stressed that fame and wealth did not play into her sentencing decision. “It would be a sad day for this country if an impression were to be created that there was one law for the poor and disadvantaged, and another for the rich and famous,” she said. “Hopefully, this judgment on sentence shall provide some sort of closure for the family and all concerned so that they can move on with their lives.”